Anyone use 6" conduit?

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Wire 2 Race

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I have a job I am bidding that requires 6" conduit. In my 39 years in the trade, I have NEVER used anything above 4".

Where do you get a cutter, or knock out to punch holes for 6" conduit?
Is it worth trying some alternative method? Do metal shops have equipment for this kind of job?
 
Ran some 6" aluminum once. You really need to be set up (large $$$$) to do this type of work. Benders, threading equipment, lifting equipment, KO's etc are all expensive not to mention the physical weight of the the stuff. I see no advantage to using it given the cost factor and amount of labor required to install it. Also you need a lot of room to install the large sweeping 90? elbows associated with it.
 
I believe you are going to have to call the local (big) POCO, for their supplier. Duke Power has an umbrella company or private company that will supply any of the equipment that crews need. Sorry can't remeber the name.

There is a tool (HVAC) that has a punch point to hold center point and one inserts the drill with a bit and you can extend out to approximately from I believe starting at 5 out to 12 inches, and drill your circle’s.

This was all PVC, and the tool is a small investment!

Just don’t try to heat slight/short turns, use 45’s… :)
 
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I ran parallel 6" GRC at an oil refinery. It was something like 180lbs/stick. We never punched out a box though. Went from a high tension tower to underground to substation and into cable tray. Lets just say it took awhile to cut and thread.
 
Wire 2 Race said:
I have a job I am bidding that requires 6" conduit. In my 39 years in the trade, I have NEVER used anything above 4".

Where do you get a cutter, or knock out to punch holes for 6" conduit?
Is it worth trying some alternative method? Do metal shops have equipment for this kind of job?
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Well you can get a 6 inch holesaw they make these we have them at work we have a old greenlee 6 inch conduit bender at work and use it on some jobs . But heavy thick metal cuts with 6 inch we cut with a plasma cutter . our junction boxes are cut at a fab shop saves time boxs made at shop and holes cut at shop . Ill post our old bender for you if you would like to see it let me find some photos of some 6 inch some over head stuff ! They do not make 6 inch benders in the usa no more greenlee stopped that years ago . we just rebuild ours when needed they dont make them like that anymore most folks just buy factory bends since it takes 45 minutes to bend one 6 inch 90 in the field and you need a 20 foot length of conduit to bend one 6 inch 90 you cant do it with a 10 foot stick I kinda bend lots of pipe .
 
I just talked to a guy yesterday that was running 6" rigid for a pump station. He mentioned that running the pipe was harder than pulling the wire.
 
Never run 6" conduit but on an old job once I helped hang about 150' of 6" schedule 40 T&C black iron pipe. It hung from the ceiling on custom made hangers and the ceiling was 32' high. Every stick of that pipe was like wrestling an angry bear. Trying to go through walls and around a few obstacles was the worst.
 
stevenje said:
Like wise. I am just curious, for what situation would a project need a 6" conduit as apposed to parallel runs of smaller conduits?
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This is for a classified government site. That's the first thing I said too, why not parallel? But, it's not for traditional electrical. I don't know what it's for, and don't need, or really wanna know. Just gratefull for the opportunity at the work, and to be able to contribute.

Thanks for the info guys. Where can I get one of those hole saws for 6" conduit?
 
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In 40 years I ran one run of 6" GRC

In 40 years I ran one run of 6" GRC

It was on a bank in San Jose for some secure coax, two runs up the elevator shaft from the basement to the roof. When my Dad and I got to the job, we saw the pickup setting on the frame with about 100 feet in the tailgate. We wondered who was going to end up with that job, it was us.

This company, that is one of the largest in San Jose we went to work for, didn't have any strut straps so we had to fashion 1/2" all-thread as a u-bolt going through half slot strut to hold it. After my dad and I had almost completed the run and had used all existing pipe, we were rewarded by being laid off, that was fine with us.

Good luck with the job of installing it, it was so heavy! and even the pipe wrenches we used were heavy.
 
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